is a 1964 Japanese

chambara , also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...

film directed by

Kimiyoshi Yasuda (born February 15, 1911 Tokyo, Japan, died July 26, 1983) was a Japanese film director from the 1930s to 1970s. He directed six films about Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. He signed with Nikkatsu Kyoto studio as an assistant director and started w ...

and starring

Shintaro Katsu was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series. Life and career Born Toshio Okumura (奥村利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...

as the blind masseur

Zatoichi is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' serie ...

. It was originally released by the

Daiei Motion Picture Company Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing n ...

(later acquired by

Kadokawa Pictures Kadokawa Daiei Studio, formerly is the film division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation. It is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), and is therefore one of Japan's Big Four film stud ...

). ''Adventures of Zatoichi'' is the ninth episode in the 26-part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi.

Plot

Outside of town, a man asks Ichi to give a letter to a maid called Sen at Musashi Inn. Ichi does this and there shares a room with a young woman called Saki. Saki is looking for her father, the headman of a nearby village disappeared while protesting against the harshness of new government intendant Gorota Kajime. With the support of the new intendant, local crime boss Jinbei demands an extortionate 40% of the takings of all the town vendors who have come to town. Worried that a man called Shinsuke has escaped, the boss's henchmen plan to take his sister Sen to Jinbei but Ichi intervenes. At night Ichi overhears a meeting between Sen and the man who gave Ichi the letter: Shinsuke. To cover up the crimes of Jinbei and the intendant, Shinsuke was told to kill a man but Shinsuke was double-crossed and sent to gaol. He plans to kill Jinbei. Ichi goes to Jinbei's gambling house and again (like the last film) spectacularly cuts weighted dice in two and retrieves the genuine, fair dice from their hiding location in the thrower's top-knot. Ichi is taken to a back room where the boss and the intendant are playing go. A skilled retainer, Gounosuke, acting as the intendant's bodyguard tests Ichi in an impromptu

iaijutsu is a combative quick-draw sword technique. This art of drawing the Japanese sword, katana, is one of the Japanese '' koryū'' martial art disciplines in the education of the classical warrior ( bushi). Warner, Gordon and Draeger, Donn F. 2007, ...

display. The end of Ichi's sword-cane handle is cut off and Ichi asks to be excused. After he leaves the go table, a foot thick block of solid wood, falls in half. Tired of waiting for her companion Gosuke, Saki decides to travel to Shimokawa and is abducted by Jinbei's men. Ichi followed her and his reputation prompts the men to release her. Ichi and Saki return to the inn where Gounosuke is waiting and demands a rematch. Ichi declines but Gounosuke insists until Ichi cuts in mid air a spinning top thrown at Gounosuke; the top remains spinning after it hits the ground then splits in two. Gounosuke accepts an invitation to drink. Gonosuke says as the third son of a minor lord he couldn't expect much more than his lowly job. All he wants is to meet someone who can beat him in a duel. Ichi just wants to celebrate by worshipping the new year's sun on Mount Myogi but Gounosuke insists on a duel. Walking about town Ichi meets the town drunk. Over

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

the old man relates how he had a son who would be about Ichi's age but that he lost him nearly 30 years ago as a young boy while worshipping the new year's sun on

Mount Myogi Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

. The old man gives his name as Giju and Ichi looks surprised and later says to himself that, despite the similarities between his childhood and Giju's story, Giju couldn't be the right name. At night Ichi he accompanies Sen to see Shinsuke. Ichi calls Shinsuke a fool for treating his sister so badly. Jinbei's men followed Ichi who fights them. Shinsuke nearly escapes but is mortally stabbed, as he dies he confesses to Sen that he killed the headman. Just after her companion returns, Ichi tells Saki of her father's death and that she should go home as Jinbei plans to kill her. He hires Giju to guide her around checkpoints to escape but Giju is paid by Jinbei and betrays her. Two young boys tell Ichi Giju betrayed Saki. Ichi confront Giju but spares him because Giju reminds him of his own father. As he leaves Ichi is attacked by six swordsmen. Sensing their attack he kills five and the sixth throws himself to the ground to avoid being attacked. Ichi goes to the guardhouse, frees Saki then duels Gounosuke as a gentle snow falls. He fights dozens of guards and kills many as well as Jinbei and the intendant. At dawn he worships the new year's first sun light before walking off alone.

Cast

as Zatoichi * Eiko Taki as Osen *

Miwa Takada is a Japanese film, TV and stage actress. She has starred in several Japanese movies that are today considered classics (especially in the '' Zatoichi saga'', and the ''Daimajin'' trilogy). Takada also worked as a singer, and the duet she reco ...

as Saki * Mikijiro Hira as Gounosuke * Kichijiro Ueda as Boss Jinbei *

Akitake Kono Akitake (written: 秋武, 昭武 or 明丈) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese actor *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese ''daimyō'' {{given name Japanese masculine given names Masculine g ...

as Gorota Kajima * Koichi Mizuhara as Kamazo *

Ikuko Mori Ikuko (written: 郁子 or 育子) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese character designer and animation director *, Japanese classical violinist and composer *, Japanese field ...

as Hanokama

Reception

Critical response

''Adventures of Zatoichi'' currently has three positive reviews, and no negative reviews at

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

References

External links

*
''Zatoichi sekisho yaburi''
review by Brian McKay for eFilmCritic.com (20 April 2004)
"Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 9 - ''Adventures of Zatoichi''"
review by J. Doyle Wallis for Home Vision Entertainment (19 August 2003)
Review: ''Adventures of Zatoichi'' (1964)
" by Thomas Raven for freakengine (27 November 2011) {{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Zatoichi Japanese adventure films 1964 films Zatoichi films Daiei Film films Films set in Japan Films shot in Japan 1960s Japanese films